Paper fastener



April 17, 1928.v

` v1,666,356 R. H, SMICKLE PAPER` FASTENER .Filed April 4. 1927 JI HG fig; F195 Flq E?? INVENTOR Patented Apr. 1.7, 1928.

RAYMOND H. SMICKLE, OF BELVIDERE, NEW JERSEY.

PAPER FASTENER.

Application led April 4,

This invention relates to paper fasteners, but more particularly to a double ended paper fastener in which the tongue like ends of the members comprising the fastener are capable of being bent flatly against opposite sides of papers or the like, and are capable of remaining in bent position by virtueof their own stiffness. l

The invention comprises, briefly, a pair of tongue like members, attached together intermediate their ends. The means which serve to hold the members together may be formed integrally therewith or, may consist of a separate piece arranged about or through the members in a manner to prevent relative longitudinal movement thereof .as well as to prevent separation of the members at a point at which they are secured.

One object of the invention is to enable the addition and removal of sheets from .either side of a stack of papers, or the like, without necessitating the removal of the fastener which holds them together. l

Another object is to enable separately fastened piles of papers to be laid 'on top of each other so that the ends of the paper will lie at approximately the same level.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention consists of the combination and arrangements'of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure ll is a view in elevation of the fastener,

Figure 2 is a side view in elevation of the fastener shown in Figure l,

Figure 3 is a view in elevation illustrating the manner in which the members comprising the fastener may be formed,

. Figure 4 is a view in section taken through Figure'2 on the'l line 4-4 looking in the direction of the rrows,

Figure 5' is a view similar to Figure 1 showing av modification of the invention,

Figure 6 is a detail elevation of one of the members of the fastener disclosed in Fig- 50 ure 5,

Figure 7 is a view -similar to Figure 6 illustrating the other member of the fastener shown in Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a transversesection taken' vsubstantially'the same width as the stri 1927. Serial No. 180,919.

through Figure 5 on the line 8-8 looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 9 is a perspective view in elevation illustratimr a modified form of fastener,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the members comprising the fastener shown in Figure 9,

Figure ll is an elevation of another modified .form of the invention,

Figure 12 is a side view in elevation of the form of fastener shown in Figure 11,

Figure 13 is a view in section vtaken through Figure 11 on the'line 13-13 looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 14 is an elevation illustrating the manner in which the fastener may be applied for holding sheets of paper together. j

Referring to the drawings, and at rst more particularly to the modification disclosed in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the invention comprises a pair of flexible tongue like members A and B connected at adjacent sides by a strip C which forms an integral part of the members A and B and is preferably located approximately midway between the ends of the members. The strip C in this instance is bent to permit the members A and B to lie face to face to each other in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

Thel members A and B are preferably staggered somewhat so that one end of one of the members protrudes slightly beyond the corresponding end of the other member. In this way the members may be convenientlv separated to bend them about the material they are intended tosecure together.

Suitable means is provided for preventing unbending of the strip and thus also to hold the members securely together. To that end a projection or clip D is formed integrally in this instance with the member B to engage a slot A in the member A. The clip D is preferably of alength to enable it to be bent over the outer surface of the member A. The projection D may be cg and may also lie4 in the same transverse p ane as the said strip. v

The modified form of fastener illustrated in Figures 5 to 8- inclusive comprlses two members E and F. These members are formed separately and, as in the preferred modification, are staggered slghtly for the purpose vhereinbefore escribe A stance the members are secured togetherby means of lateral clips Gr formed integrally with the member E and bent to engage slots y H in the sides of the member F. The clips G upon the width of the material from whichY the members are formed.

In order to hold the members .I securely together a Wire or pin J is inserted in the apertures K and is bent to engage grooves L formed in adjacent edges of the members. The rooves L may be semi-circular as illustrated or may be of a depth equal to the thickness or diameter of the pin J thus permit-I ting the pin to lie flush with the edge of the members.

In the form of fastener disclosed -in Figures 11 to 13 inclusive, a pair of members Y 1F, shown in detail in Figure 7, are arranged parallel to each other so that the slots H of the several members lie in the same transverse plane. The members F in this instance are held securely together by a clip O, which clip may be of the same material as the member F and'is preferably of substantially the same width as the slots H wherewith it cooperates to hold the members against relative longitudinal movement. In this instance the clip O is of suliicient length to permit the ends thereofv to be bentv as at P to engage the outer surface 'of one of the members F for clamping the members F securely'together. y

Although the slots H are shown as being of less depth than the thiqkness ofthe clip 0*, it is to be understood, however, that the depth of the slots H may equal the thickness of the clip. In such case, of course, the outer surfaces of the portions ofthe cli adjacent .the slots will lie flush with the e ges of the members F.

-The manner in which the foregoing described fastener may be applied to a stack Q of sheets of paper, or the like, is illustrat-` ed in detailin Figure 14. Inthis showing the .sheetsV are so arranged that the perfora- .tions of the several sheets coincide. 'The fastener may then be inserted in the perforations and the endsof the members comprising the fastener may be bent outwardly against the outer surfaces of the outer sheets. By means of theforegoing described invention, sheets of paper may be removed from' either side of a stack or pile of papers without necessitating the -removal of .the

' Vfastener as' is the case in the usual/type ofi pliable double ended fastener, in which heads or buttons act as stops to abut one side of the'papers. In the usual type of fastener, sheets can be removed only from one side ofthe stack Without removing the fastener. vTo remove sheets from thevother side of the stack requires the removal of the fastening device. In consequence, the papers frequently become shifted about so that the perforations of the several sheets are drawn out of alignment with 'respect to each other. thus causing considerable (liiculty and waste of time to again arrange the papers in such manner that the fastener may be inserted into the perforations. Also, the heads or buttons formed on such fas- -teners are rather bulky so that When a number .of separately secured stacks of papers are laid on top of each other, one end of the pile thus formedis considerably higher than the opposite end. This, of course, acts as a limitation tothe number of se arately secured stacks of paper which may e piled on top of one another.

The -present invention aims to overcome these objectionable features'and, due to the manner in which the ends of the tongue-like members may be flattened against'the side of the papers and to the comparatively lse small cross section of the members, the ends of the papers will lie at practically the same level.

In the drawingsv the proportions of the several members have been somewhat exaggerated for convenience of illustration. -It is to be understood, however, that the various elementsjcomprising the fasteners may be suitably proportioned to meet immediate requirements. j Y

I do not wish lto limit the invention to the precise showin in the drawings, and it is to be understoo that the invention may be further modified without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim: l 1. A paper fastener comprisingI a pair of -pliable double .ended -members arranged in parallel relation,'one of said members havin a slot, and means in engagement with said slot for h lding the members together in'- termediate their ends.

2. A paper fastener comprisin a pair of pliable members of substantial y uniform width throughout their 'length and arranged in face to face relation, one of said members having a slot, and means engaged by said slot for clamping the members together.

3. A paper fastener com rising a pair 0f mem ers, one of said members -having a slot and av-clip on the other memberengag'edby the slot and bent around the first sald member to clamp the members together intermediate theirl ends.

4. A paper fastener Icomprising a pair of Vpliable double Aended members, a strip connee-tin adjacent edges of the members, one member to extend beyond the adjacent end l0 Aof said members having a slot in one edge, of the other member, one of said members and a clip on the other member, bent into having a slot, and a clip on the other member engagement with the slot for clamping said engaging the slot to clamp the members to- 5 members together. Y gether.

5. A -paper fastener com rising' a pair of In testimony whereof I have signed this l5 liable double ended mem ers disposed in specification. ace to face relation and arranged in staggered formation to' enable the end of one RAYMOND H. SMICKLE. 

